How to Check Your Website Accessibility: Complete Guide for 2025

Website accessibility isn't just about compliance—it's about ensuring everyone can use your website, regardless of their abilities. With over 1 billion people worldwide living with disabilities, making your site accessible isn't optional; it's essential for both user experience and legal compliance.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll show you exactly how to check your website's accessibility using both automated tools and manual testing methods.

Why Website Accessibility Matters

Before diving into testing methods, let's understand why accessibility is crucial:

Legal Requirements

WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard
ADA compliance in the United States requires accessible websites
EU Web Accessibility Directive mandates accessibility for public sector sites
EAA (European Accessibility Act) extends requirements to private sector from 2025

Business Benefits

Larger Audience: 15% of the global population has some form of disability
Better SEO: Many accessibility practices align with SEO best practices
Improved UX: Accessible sites are generally easier to use for everyone
Risk Mitigation: Avoid costly lawsuits and compliance issues

Understanding WCAG Compliance Levels

WCAG defines three levels of accessibility:

Level A: Basic web accessibility features (minimum requirement)
Level AA: Deals with common barriers for disabled users (recommended standard)
Level AAA: Highest level of accessibility (not required for all content)

Most organizations aim for Level AA compliance as it covers the majority of accessibility needs without being overly restrictive.

Quick Accessibility Check with Sitecheck

The fastest way to get started is using our free accessibility scanner. Here's what you'll discover:

Automated WCAG Violations: Issues detected by axe-core and QualWeb
Color Contrast Problems: Text that doesn't meet minimum contrast ratios
Missing Alt Text: Images without descriptive alternative text
Keyboard Navigation Issues: Elements that aren't keyboard accessible
ARIA Problems: Incorrect or missing ARIA attributes
Heading Structure: Non-sequential or missing heading hierarchy

Try it now: Simply enter your domain on our homepage and select "Accessibility" to run a comprehensive scan in under 30 seconds.

Manual Accessibility Testing Methods

While automated tools catch 30-40% of accessibility issues, manual testing is essential for complete coverage.

Many users navigate websites using only a keyboard. Test your site by:

Tab through all interactive elements (links, buttons, forms)
Use Enter/Space to activate buttons and links
Check focus indicators are clearly visible
Test skip navigation links to bypass repetitive content
Ensure no keyboard traps (users can navigate away from all elements)

What to look for:

Logical tab order that follows visual layout
Visible focus indicators on all interactive elements
All functionality available via keyboard alone

Screen readers are used by blind and visually impaired users. Popular options include:

NVDA (Windows) - Free and widely used
JAWS (Windows) - Industry standard, paid
VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) - Built into Apple devices
TalkBack (Android) - Built into Android devices

Basic screen reader tests:

Navigate the page using heading shortcuts (H key in most screen readers)
Listen to image descriptions (alt text)
Navigate forms and verify labels are properly associated
Check that dynamic content changes are announced

3. Visual Checks

Even with perfect code, visual design can create accessibility barriers:

Color Contrast

Normal text: Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio
Large text (18pt+): Minimum 3:1 contrast ratio
UI components: Minimum 3:1 contrast ratio

Tool recommendation: Use browser DevTools or online contrast checkers to verify ratios.

Text Sizing

Text must be resizable up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
Test by zooming in your browser (Ctrl/Cmd + Plus)
Check that content doesn't overflow or become unreadable

Motion and Animation

Provide controls to pause, stop, or hide animations
Avoid automatically playing video or audio
Respect prefers-reduced-motion media query

4. Form Accessibility

Forms are critical conversion points. Ensure they're accessible:

Every input has a label: Properly associated with for attribute
Error messages are clear: Describe what went wrong and how to fix it
Required fields are indicated: Not just with color (use asterisk or "required")
Instructions are provided: Help text before the form field, not just placeholder

Common Accessibility Issues and How to Fix Them

Issue #1: Missing Alt Text

Problem: Images without alt attributes are invisible to screen readers.

Fix:

<!-- ❌ Bad -->
<img src="product.jpg">

<!-- ✅ Good -->
<img src="product.jpg" alt="Blue cotton t-shirt with round neckline">

<!-- ✅ Good for decorative images -->
<img src="decoration.jpg" alt="">

Issue #2: Poor Color Contrast

Problem: Light gray text on white background (#999 on #FFF) fails WCAG requirements.

Fix: Use darker colors or adjust your design system to meet 4.5:1 minimum ratio.

/* ❌ Bad - Fails contrast requirements */
color: #999999;
background: #FFFFFF;

/* ✅ Good - Passes AA requirements */
color: #595959;
background: #FFFFFF;

Issue #3: Non-Descriptive Link Text

Problem: "Click here" and "Read more" links don't provide context.

Fix: Use descriptive link text that makes sense out of context.

<!-- ❌ Bad -->
<a href="/guide">Click here</a> to read our accessibility guide.

<!-- ✅ Good -->
Read our <a href="/guide">complete accessibility guide</a>.

Issue #4: Missing Form Labels

Problem: Placeholder text is not a replacement for labels.

Fix: Always use proper label elements.

<!-- ❌ Bad -->
<input type="email" placeholder="Email address">

<!-- ✅ Good -->
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" placeholder="e.g., name@example.com">

Issue #5: Improper Heading Hierarchy

Problem: Skipping heading levels (h1 to h3) or using headings for styling.

Fix: Use headings in proper sequential order.

<!-- ❌ Bad -->
<h1>Main Title</h1>
<h3>Subsection</h3> <!-- Skipped h2 -->

<!-- ✅ Good -->
<h1>Main Title</h1>
<h2>Section</h2>
<h3>Subsection</h3>

Automated Accessibility Testing Tools

Free Tools

Sitecheck Accessibility Scanner - Our comprehensive tool checks WCAG 2.1 compliance across your entire site
WAVE - Browser extension providing visual feedback
axe DevTools - Browser extension with detailed issue reporting
Lighthouse - Built into Chrome DevTools

Enterprise Solutions

Deque axe Monitor - Continuous accessibility monitoring
Siteimprove - Enterprise-level scanning and reporting
Level Access AMP - Comprehensive accessibility management platform

Creating an Accessibility Testing Checklist

Use this checklist for every page:

Automated Testing

Run Sitecheck accessibility scanner
Check Lighthouse accessibility score
Validate with axe DevTools

Manual Testing

Navigate entire page with keyboard only
Test with screen reader (spot check key flows)
Verify all images have appropriate alt text
Check color contrast on all text
Test form validation and error messages
Verify heading hierarchy is logical
Test with 200% zoom
Check responsive design at different breakpoints

User Testing

Test with users who rely on assistive technology (when possible)
Gather feedback from users with disabilities
Conduct usability testing with diverse users

Accessibility Testing Frequency

When to test:

Before launch: Full accessibility audit
After major updates: Test affected components
Quarterly: Comprehensive site-wide scan
Continuous: Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipeline

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Relying solely on automated tools: They catch only 30-40% of issues
Testing only the homepage: Check all key user journeys
Ignoring mobile accessibility: Mobile users need accessible experiences too
Fixing violations without understanding: Learn why issues matter
Treating accessibility as one-time project: It requires ongoing maintenance

Getting Started with Accessibility

If accessibility seems overwhelming, start here:

Week 1: Assessment

Run a full accessibility scan with Sitecheck
Document all critical issues (keyboard, screen reader, contrast)
Prioritize fixes by impact and effort

Week 2: Quick Wins

Add missing alt text to images
Fix color contrast issues
Add proper form labels
Correct heading hierarchy

Ensure keyboard navigation works
Add skip navigation links
Fix focus indicators
Test with screen reader

Week 4: Testing & Documentation

Manual testing of key user flows
Document accessibility patterns for your team
Create accessibility guidelines for content creators
Set up monitoring for ongoing compliance

Maintaining Accessibility

Accessibility is not a one-time fix. Maintain it with:

Developer training: Educate your team on accessible coding practices
Design system: Build accessibility into components from the start
Automated testing: Integrate accessibility checks in CI/CD
Regular audits: Schedule quarterly comprehensive reviews
User feedback: Provide easy ways to report accessibility issues

Accessibility Resources

Guidelines & Standards

Testing Tools

Sitecheck Free Scanner - Comprehensive WCAG testing
WebAIM Contrast Checker
NVDA Screen Reader

Learning Resources

Conclusion

Website accessibility benefits everyone—not just users with disabilities. By following this guide and using tools like Sitecheck's free accessibility scanner, you can identify and fix issues that prevent people from using your website.

Ready to check your website's accessibility? Run a free accessibility scan